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A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to pumps for viscous fluids. Specifically, the invention is a hand pump for use with condiments such as flavored syrups, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish and similar products.
B. Description of Related Art
Nearly all retail stores which sell ready to eat food have some type of system for allowing the customer to apply various condiments (e.g. ketchup, mustard, relish, flavored syrup, etc.) To the food. And while there are various approaches to the problem of storing and dispensing condiments, one popular approach is to use a stainless steel tub and hand pump.
In general, the prior art consists of a piston displacement pump, an inlet chamber with a check valve, an outlet chamber with a check valve, and a dispensing spout. The combination of a piston displacement pump with two chambers and check valves predates their use in food dispensing. For example, Berdahl used this arrangement in an oil can. U.S. Pat. No. 1,307,478, granted Jun. 24, 1919. Turning to food dispensing, Cox used the same basic elements in an adjustable syrup pump, U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,585, as did Bennett et al. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,959. Two recent, popular food pumps, using this same approach, are Schaefer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,746, and Humphrey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,932. The most recent food pump by Seltzer (same inventor as this application), U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,256, also uses the same approach.
A review of the prior art patents, particularly the discussion in Schaefer et al, Humphrey, and Bennett et al., shows that there has been an ongoing sense of frustration with the prior art pumps on the following grounds: they are too complicated to manufacture; they have too many parts; they are prone to clogging; they are difficult to clean; and when disassembled for cleaning there are small parts that fall out and can get lost.
Accordingly, there is a need for a condiment pump which is easy to manufacture, has a minimum of parts, resists clogging, is easy to clean without small parts that can fall out and get lost.
A condiment pump meeting the foregoing needs is disclosed. The condiment pump has a pump means in the form of a standard piston displacement pump. The standard piston displacement pump is well known in the art and is comprised of a cylinder, a rod with a piston at the bottom of the rod inside the cylinder which is biased, usually by a spring, in an upward position, and a seal attached to the piston which makes a tight but slidable fit with the interior wall of the cylinder. In the instant invention, the rod is optionally fitted with limiting means for limiting the travel of the rod. By limiting the travel of the rod within the cylinder, the condiment pump can be made to deliver a reduced and measured volume of condiment. The instant invention also has a means for attaching the check ball to the bottom of the spring, and for attaching the spring to the bottom of the piston so that these parts stay attached when the piston is removed from the cylinder for cleaning.
The pump means has inflow means formed at the lower end of the pump means. The inflow means has an interior inflow chamber with a first valve means inside the interior chamber. The valve means is most conveniently made from a special check ball valve, although other types of check valves, such as flap valves are also possible. The inflow chamber has three openings: a top opening which communicates with the pump means; a bottom opening which communicates with the supply of condiment to be pumped; and a side opening which communicates with an outflow means. The inflow chamber is designed so as to prevent the spring from blocking the side opening.
The outflow chamber communicates with the side opening of the interior chamber of the inflow means using a piece of elbow tubing. The outflow means has an interior chamber with a top opening and a bottom opening, and a second valve means inside the outflow chamber. The elbow tubing has a lower end which communicates with the side opening of the inflow chamber and an upper end which communicates with the lower opening of the outflow chamber.
There is also a spout having an upper end and a lower end where the lower end is equipped with a spout adapter. The spout adapter is disposed inside the upper opening of the outflow chamber. The spout adapter has a pin which engages a L-slot pin receiving means in the upper end of the outflow means. The pin and pin receiving means prevent the spout from rotating, or moving axially relative to the outflow means. The spout adapter detachably engages a spring wire clip which holds the check valve and also prevents the valve means, typically a check ball valve, from plugging the lower end of the spout.
The spout and the pump means both protrude through a cover with two orifices: a pump orifice and a spout orifice. The pump means includes a screw-on cap which is larger than the pump orifice, thus holding the cover tightly in place. The cover, in turn, then holds the spout adapter firmly within the upper end of the outflow chamber.
It is an object of the invention to produce a condiment pump which has a minimum of moving parts.
It is an object of the invention to produce a condiment pump which is easy to assemble and disassemble without using any tools.
It is an object of the invention to produce a condiment pump which is easy to clean.
It is an object of the invention to produce a condiment pump which can be disassembled without any loose parts that can fall out and get lost.
It is an object of the invention to produce a condiment pump which is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is an object of the invention to produce a condiment pump which resists clogging.
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the claims.